By: Scott Rubin
November 16, 2023
Earlier this month marked a significant event in the Rutgers University calendar - the inaugural Rutgers Health Hack, hosted at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital. This event drew a diverse crowd of thinkers, innovators, and doers - among them, a spirited group from Rutgers' own Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA). These IDEA students didn't just attend; they became a driving force of creativity and ingenuity, leaving a significant mark on the hackathon.
The RU Health Hack brought together a vibrant mix of innovators and disruptors from various disciplines, including medicine, surgery, AI/ML, engineering, design, entrepreneurship, marketing, and business. This weekend-long event was not just about competition; it was a fertile ground for collaboration, networking, and innovation. Participants had the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the hackathon atmosphere, connect with like-minded peers and mentors to contribute to driving healthcare innovation forward.
The IDEA program showcased its remarkable presence at the hackathon.
One of the standout moments for the IDEA community was Joshua Israel, a third-year pharmacy student, securing 2nd place with his team, Tiny Talk. Their project, a button placed on top of medication caps to audibly identify the medication for the visually impaired, was a testament to the innovative spirit of Rutgers students.
IDEA Hatchery Navigators Scott Rubin (RBS, '24) and Diya Gandhi (SAS, '25) mentored first-year students, Mahrosh Naved (SEBS, '27), Hamida Paiman (SAS, '27), Jiayi Pu (SEBS, '27), and Benita Kizhakkepuram (SAS, '27) through their first hackathon experience. They developed MyHeart, a machine learning algorithm aimed at predicting heart attacks before they happen - a project with immense potential to aid patients, doctors, and insurance providers to save lives.
Notable IDEA participants also included Srujanesh Gunda (SAS, '23, RWJMS '26), Malay Patel (RBS, '25), Ryan Tillouaine (SEBS, '26), Terry Nguyen (SAS, '26), and Keshav Jwalapuram (RBS, '27).
The hackathon was not just a competition but a learning experience, especially for first-time participants. The event provided a platform for these young innovators to learn, experiment, and contribute meaningfully to real-world problems.
The RU Health Hack was another showcase of the talent, creativity, and potential of IDEA students. Their achievements and the knowledge they gained are a testament to the program's success in fostering innovative thinkers and problem solvers. As these students continue their academic and professional journeys, the impact of their projects, like Tiny Talk and MyHeart, promises to extend far beyond the hackathon.
IDEA operates a program for first-year students in which undergraduates contribute to interdisciplinary projects focused on finding solutions to societal challenges. Since the summer of 2022, students join the Justice Health program through IDEA, which provides other summer programs.
Students exploring Alexander Library in the fall semester might stumble upon the Hatchery Innovation Studio, a collaboration between Rutgers—New Brunswick Libraries and the Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA), which resides on the first floor of the library.
Jason Lei (RBS, '24) participates in a panel discussion that highlights the value of student contributions to address national challenges and the value of government-academia partnerships for undergraduates.